Roads and railroads fragmentate habitats. This process of habitat fragmentation affects the quality of animal life in the Netherlands. To mitigate this negative impact of roads, Dutch authorities have invested in 700 to 1000 local measures (e.g. tunnels, ecoducts). Total investment costs of these provisions amount to approximately 10 to 50 million euro. In this paper we conclude that the effectivity of the local measures are not known right now, based on interviews with experts and literature. There are indications that the provisions are used by the target animals. However, it is also known that around 50% of the tunnels for badgers do not function properly. Theoretically it is plausible that local road measures wil result in conserving animal life in the Netherlands. However, empirical data are required to substantiate this claim. (Author/publisher)
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